Chapter 17: Hooked Teacher Yang Zi Into A Pouting Fish!
“……?!”
Teacher Yang Zi was stunned and didn’t react.
「hhh! What a smooth-talking mouth!」
「Laughing to death, only now reacting.」
「《Silly dog with too many issues》」
「So satisfying! As expected of Hu Ye, the only man who can keep up with Teacher Yang Zi’s antics!」
「Great roast! Felt good, even if Hu Ye is deliberately playing a persona, I’d accept it.」
「It’s over, Hu Ye’s gone crazy, not caring about black fans’ feelings at all?」
「Although but… Hu Ye’s too bold, Teacher Yang Zi’s face turned green, hhh.」
Inside the Living Room.
Everyone finally tasted it. Shi Daifu looked at Chi Ye in surprise, while Teacher Yang Zi looked displeased and faintly embarrassed.
Only Jin Xia was “very angry”: “Teacher Yang Zi, this is a good persimmon that Teacher Chi and I carefully selected. How can you do this!”
Everyone: “……”
“Hmph!”
Teacher Yang Zi felt he completely lost face and regretted even more that the perfect script was ruined by Chi Ye just like that.
He huffed angrily, turned around, and went back to his room.
“……He, is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” Chi Ye waved casually: “Teacher Yang Zi went to think of a new script. He’ll come out once he figures it out.”
Shi Daifu: “……”
“I looked at persimmons all the way here, and he said they weren’t good!”
Jin Xia was still fuming a little.
Chi Ye glanced at her: “I was the one who picked them clearly.”
“Right.” Jin Xia said righteously: “That’s why I said I ‘looked’ at them all the way!”
Chi Ye: “……”
“Then let’s tidy up and prepare to cook?”
He glanced at the two girls and found that without Teacher Yang Zi, the air in the Living Room felt much cleaner.
“……I’ll go cook.”
Shi Daifu turned silently and walked into the Kitchen again to prepare washing vegetables and cooking.
Chi Ye thought about it and prepared to follow in to help.
“Me too, me too!”
The “Brown Bear” bounced and tried to squeeze in.
“You know how to cook?” Chi Ye asked in surprise.
“No.”
“Then why are you coming in?”
“I’ll help you serve plates, wash vegetables, and disinfect!”
Chi Ye pointed at the fluffy down jacket on Jin Xia: “I think you should change clothes first.”
“Oh, right.” Jin Xia slapped her forehead, hurriedly saying: “Wait for me, you must wait for me before starting!”
After saying that, she controlled her wobbly “body” and turned to go upstairs.
Chi Ye watched her leave, then shook his head and walked into the Kitchen to assist Shi Daifu.
He actually wasn’t great at cooking either—boiling noodles or frying eggs was fine, but if you asked him to make something fancy, it’d be at the level of Respected Teacher Huang Jianfeng.
Fortunately, Shi Daifu had strong hands-on ability. She clearly cooked often herself, handling everything methodically, which greatly improved Chi Ye’s impression of her.
Daifu Daifu, foodies cheering!
Not long after, Jin Xia entered the Kitchen wearing a pink fluffy rabbit home outfit.
Seeing Shi Daifu and Chi Ye already starting to cook, her little face showed some unhappiness as she muttered something under her breath.
Chi Ye glanced at her and casually assigned her a task: “Jin Xia, go peel the potato.”
“Okay, okay!” Jin Xia immediately beamed with joy.
Chi Ye shook his head watching her.
Truly a little knife poking butt—eyes wide open, first time seeing someone unhappy about having no work to do.
Really want to throw her into a 996 factory, working overtime every day.
Thinking of Jin Xia’s performance along the way, he felt a bit uneasy: “Do you know how to peel?”
“Yes!”
Chi Ye nodded: “Then it’s yours.”
“Guaranteed to complete the mission!”
Jin Xia raised the rabbit ears in a salute, then went to find the potato and started peeling.
Ten minutes later.
Shi Daifu turned her head to look, saying nothing.
Chi Ye somehow understood her meaning and turned to ask Jin Xia: “Is the potato done?”
“Not yet.”
“Still not done?” Chi Ye was puzzled: “It’s been so long, not even one peeled?”
“Nope, nope, why are you rushing me.” The “Rabbit” looked up, displeased: “I’ve only peeled half!”
Chi Ye: “?”
He sensed something wrong, walked over to look, and his vision went black.
She really wasn’t lying—half the potato skin, not more, not less, just right.
“So precise.” Chi Ye sighed.
“Right? And look how nicely I peeled it?” Jin Xia proudly held up the potato.
He had to admit, the potato she peeled was smooth and shiny, without any leftover skin bits, and even looked round and beautiful in shape.
“It’s just…” Jin Xia was slightly dissatisfied: “This potato’s shape is hard to peel. My arm’s sore from making it look good.”
“The potato is too inconsiderate.” Chi Ye sighed.
“This knife isn’t good to use either.”
“The knife is inconsiderate too.”
Jin Xia raised her neck, her loose home outfit slipping down to reveal a snow-white tender swan neck, peach blossom eyes filled with discontent: “Teacher Chi, you’re sarcasm-ing me again!”
“No no.” Chi Ye shook his head, asking sincerely: “Do you like peeling potatoes?”
“Of course!”
“No, I think your talent is wasted on potatoes—too much of a mismatch.”
“Hm?” Jin Xia looked suspicious: “What do you mean?”
Chi Ye looked at her: “If you really want to peel, peel me instead.”
“This potato in your hands is practically getting spa treatment. Peel me too, let me get some beauty work.”
“Teacher Chi!” Jin Xia sounded aggrieved, huffing: “You don’t need peeling, your jawline is sharper than the blade!!”
Chi Ye: “?”
Done, pushed the child too far.
Jin Xia ignored him and saw Shi Daifu had finished a dish, so she got up and walked toward the cabinet inside the Kitchen.
Dumb but diligent.
Chi Ye shook his head, just about to take over the potato peeling.
“How come there’s not even a disinfection cabinet here.”
A coquettish voice came from inside.
Chi Ye paused, pointing at the Program Team members outside: “Program Team, figure out why there’s no disinfection cabinet.”
Jin Xia turned back to add: “A Morphy Richards disinfection cabinet, the one that disinfects knives, bowls, and chopsticks all-in-one!”
「Can’t take it, these two are killing me with laughter.」
「You’re just bullying Xia Xia for being silly.」
「Bad! This kid really rode on the popularity!」
「Aaaah! Xia Xia is so cute, her private image is totally different!」
「Fell for it a bit.」
Chi Ye and Jin Xia had no idea that their duo of unlucky persons with explosive reputations now had “CP fans”.
Chi Ye quickly finished peeling the potato. Shi Daifu’s knife flew, and after over half an hour, the first dinner in Jian Ni Small Dwelling was finally served.
Four dishes and a soup for four people—about right.
“Right, Teacher Yang Zi hasn’t come out yet.”
Jin Xia busily arranged all the bowls and chopsticks into a pretty shape, then remembered Teacher Yang Zi hadn’t come out since returning to his room.
“Then go call him.” Chi Ye said.
Jin Xia instinctively stood up but suddenly thought of something, sat back down with a plop, huffed at Chi Ye, and turned her head to indicate she wasn’t going.
Got it, the Empress Dowager was still “a little angry”.
Chi Ye glanced at the expressionless Shi Daifu again.
“……Fine, I’ll go call.”
Chi Ye felt he was too kind, kinder than a cow. He stood up and strolled to Teacher Yang Zi’s room door: “Teacher Yang Zi, dinner’s ready.”
No sound from inside.
Chi Ye thought and changed his approach: “Teacher Yang Zi, there’ll be fifty close-up shots during dinner.”
Click.
The room door opened, and Teacher Yang Zi walked out calmly, eyes quickly scanning the distant dining table, finding only six cameras.
Face displeased.
“Let’s go.”
Chi Ye had already turned back and returned to the dining table as if nothing happened.
「hhh, laughing to death.」
「Teacher Yang Zi: You kid fishing here?」
「Fished Teacher Yang Zi into a pout!」
「Teacher Yang Zi: Can’t beat him, can’t beat him at all.」
「Teacher Yang Zi now feels that helpless pull on his pants pocket.」
Teacher Yang Zi said nothing, just stayed displeased, sat down by the dining table, and started eating with his head down.
The other three were actually starving too. Chi Ye and Jin Xia were okay, but Shi Daifu had worked half a day under the Old Man’s guidance before personally cooking, evolving from female Boxing King to female Master Chef—Jian Ni’s number one laborer. Starving, she ate a bit fast.
As such, the atmosphere at the dining table was a bit cold.
Director Li behind the camera cleared his throat lightly, prompting everyone to talk, don’t just show off eating!
But the four at the table, in terms of being top-tier, were all veteran artist level—no one paid the Program Team any mind.
Director Li gave up, signaling the PD next to him with his eyes.
The PD was silent for two seconds, looking at Jin Xia who had put down her chopsticks and was only sipping her thermos cup: “Teacher Jin Xia, is that all you’re eating?”
“Eh, the Program Team people can talk?” Jin Xia wondered.
“Just dub the sound onto my face in post.” Chi Ye replied.
PD: “……”
「hh, really like this.」
「You two living together already?」
Jin Xia heard Chi Ye’s voice, her peach blossom eyes slyly glancing at him, then pretending nothing happened, said to the PD: “I don’t eat much.”
She picked up her high-end thermos cup, coquettishly: “I always drink underground spring water after meals, steeped with health preservation tea. This diet is the healthiest, aids post-meal digestion.”
The Program Team and guests listened in a daze.
They subconsciously looked at Chi Ye, who had been “hanging out” with Jin Xia since joining the program.
“Mm.” Chi Ye nodded calmly: “The Empress Dowager’s meals are like that.”
Everyone: “……”
“Crunch.”
Shi Daifu had half an apple in her mouth, noticing the odd looks from everyone.
“Mm… I’m full.”
She suddenly stood up and left the dining table without looking back.
“……What’s with her?” Chi Ye didn’t quite get it.
“Probably embarrassed.” Teacher Yang Zi said, then realized he had responded to Chi Ye, cursing bad luck inwardly!
“Mm…” Chi Ye glanced at the innocent-looking Jin Xia and fell silent.
“Martial artist”, eating a bit more is normal, right?
……
Dinner ended. Originally, the first day in Jian Ni Small Dwelling had a “late-night talk therapy” session.
But today the guests were all tired, and with the Teacher Yang Zi incident, no one felt like talking therapy with strangers.
Just due to the Program Team’s process, they could only wander in the Living Room.
Jin Xia clamored to go out for a stroll because the Program Team had hung many pretty colored lights in the Small Courtyard.
But Chi Ye thought the Empress Dowager going out was too much trouble, having to wrap up like a “Brown Bear”, so he stopped her big fuss.
This scene made Teacher Yang Zi seethe, wishing to swap roles with Chi Ye and yell: Agree to her! Agree and go on a two-person world date to ride popularity!
Unfortunately, he wasn’t Chi Ye, so he could only scream inwardly, then… stay in the Living Room himself, ready to ride on Jin Xia anytime.
“Teacher Chi, what are you doing?”
Jin Xia still held her thermos cup, sipping lightly now and then, noticing Chi Ye’s “oddity” and asking curiously.
“Hm?” Chi Ye was stunned, shaking his head: “Nothing, just resting a bit.”
Actually, his attention had been in the system space, checking his favorability growth.
First day in Jian Ni, with the first day nearly over, he didn’t know if it was his own reason or spending so much time with Jin Xia, but his favorability had grown impressively.
Already over 530,000.
Back in How to Evaluate, favorability had only increased by about 20,000 total.
One could imagine Jian Ni’s popularity and… Jin Xia’s traffic.
The Empress Dowager deserved the most credit!
Chi Ye glanced at Jin Xia, who was slurping from her thermos cup and inexplicably giggling.
Mm…
500,000 favorability meant he had five chances to copy intermediate talent skills.
No need to trade for fifty beginner ones instead… Chi Ye thought it unnecessary.
‘So whose talent skill to copy?’
Chi Ye’s gaze fell again on the somewhat “dazed”-looking Empress Dowager.
Among Jian Ni’s current guests, Teacher Yang Zi was out—calling him a veteran actor would make veteran actors feel bad luck.
Jin Xia was definitely the top target.
Don’t let the Empress Dowager’s silly sweet act fool you—actually, Jin Xia was one of the best in acting talent among the young generation in Internal Entertainment Circle.
Otherwise, with just looks and family background, she wouldn’t reach top first-tier top streamer status.
Besides the Empress Dowager, Shi Daifu was naturally another top choice.
Whether past life or this one, Chi Ye was tone-deaf, five tones incomplete; the original host’s albums relied purely on million-dollar tuning masters— a true Recording Studio warrior.
Shi Daifu’s career was mostly faded now, but she was once the “Little Diva of the Music Scene”, her singing skill and technique beyond doubt.
‘Then settle on the Empress Dowager and Miss Shi first.’
Chi Ye set preliminary targets, sat up, and prepared to exchange scrolls to copy.
Hope he wasn’t super unlucky!
“Hm?”
Jin Xia seemed to sense something, her peach blossom eyes looking over, asking blankly: “Teacher Chi, what are you doing?”
“Nothing…”
Chi Ye shifted his butt, about to speak, when his gaze suddenly paused.
On Jin Xia’s just-set-down thermos cup.
He hadn’t noticed from afar earlier; up close, he saw the thermos contained black “spring water” with faint dense small bubbles.
A familiar taste wafted subtly.
Jin Xia noticed Chi Ye’s gaze, startled, quickly lifted the thermos to sip and cover, but thought of something, pretended to blow on it, slurped, and sneaked a peek at Chi Ye: “Teacher Chi, why are you looking at me?”
Chi Ye was silent: “You’re drinking cola from a thermos?”
Jin Xia: “!!!”
She hurriedly looked around—good, the Program Team thought they’d skipped this segment, leaving only fixed shots in the Living Room.
“Teacher Chi, keep your voice down!”
Chi Ye: “……”
“Sorry.” He apologized sincerely: “My bad eyesight—this must be cola-flavored underground spring water!”
Sorry sorry, it’s Monday and needed to schedule the early morning update, a bit late. Apologies to all dear readers, and thanks for your votes and support! Cheers!
